The Original Head Race
HEAD OF THE RIVER
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The first Head of the River Race, founded by Steve Fairbairn, was held in 1926 with just 26 crews. What started as an event for Tideway crews has grown steadily, now attracting crews from all over the British Isles and beyond with 300+ crews attending annually.
Media Trails has worked with HORR since 2022 to provide a high quality live stream. Year on year we’ve strived to add innovations. From our first 3 camera OB in 2022, remote commentators with an on-site reporter in 2023, and now 6 ‘Cox-Cams’, crew Gfx & VT wipes for 2024.
This year we collaborated with Burwood Broadcast and thanks to their facilities & expertise in remote streaming we were able to increase to 12 incoming feeds, giving greater camera spread across the tideway.
Head of the River 2024
324 Crews
With 2619 competitors
A 6.8km course
1 Course record - 16:28.40
4 Broadcast cameras
7 On-board streams
3 Gfx pages
2 Remote comentators
All produced on Vmix at a fraction of the cost to the client of a traditional broadcast.
Over 300 crews compete over a 4.25 miles (6.8km) course along the river Thames between Chiswick bridge and Putney embankment
Beginners compete with elite rowers in in one of the sports’ best known events when rowers from all over Europe go afloat on the tidal Thames to compete.
With fast conditions forecast, competitors will be out to try and beat the course record set last year by Oxford Brookes University’s A crew. The entry for this year includes over 300 crews from all over Britain, as well as visitors from Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. For many, the race is the highlight of the winter season and marks the shift to the side-by-side racing format of spring and summer.
The first race was held in 1926 and 21 crews took part. There was no race in 1937 (there was no suitable tide on a Saturday and no competitive sport took place on Sundays at that time) and none from 1940-45 inclusive, but the race was restarted in 1946 and has taken place annually ever since.
“Huge thanks to Media Trails who stepped in with a week’s notice to bring us a high class livestream of one of the most historic races in rowing.”
— Zoe, Head of the River 2022
“ Have collaborated with Charlie for corporate and broadcast clients - his approach is calm, professional and innovative and I’d have no hesitation in recommending Media Trails to anyone”
— Simon, Burwood Broadcast 2024